KIAMA DRAW IN TIGHT SEMI FINAL

REPLAY TUESDAY

 

The Kiama Quarriers Soccer Club continued their fabulous run in the 2001 Illawarra Soccer Season with a 1 – 1 draw against Warilla Wanderers in last Saturday’s Major Semi-final match that stretched their unbeaten run to seventeen games.  The game was battled out at Keith Bond Oval, Oak Flats, before a healthy crowd.

 

The game was a match up between teams finishing first and third in the competition and was spiced with a lot of feeling and antagonism between the two sets of supporters.  To put a bit more feeling into the game it was ironic that Kiama clinched the First Division League Championship with a 1 – 0 win against Warilla the week before.

 

Both teams were unhappy with the playing surface which was in very poor condition and extremely bumpy.  It seems a tragedy to put such an important game on such a poor playing field and it robbed the crowd of a lot of the spectacle.

 

The Quarriers took up where they had left off the week before and took control of the match from the kick off.  Warilla looked a different side than they were the week before and appeared more determined in midfield and sharper in the forwards. 

 

Kiama had most of the play and missed a few early chances with poor shooting.  In the fourteenth minute Brown got to a header and put it wide of the post from a good cross and three minutes later he drove a ferocious drive from close range into the side netting.

 

Striker Jim Berry was getting a lot of attention from the defence and used his considerable skill and experience to suck the defenders in before laying off some terrific passes for Brown and his midfield.  The match should have been won in this first twenty minute period as the Quarriers were in total control.

 

Kiama received a timely warning from Warilla midway through the first half when one of their livewire strikers was able to turn a defender on the edge of the box and he hammered a shot onto the top of the cross bar with Tidswell in goals beaten.

 

Five minutes out from half time Kiama made a tactical mistake and seemed to sit back and have a breather.  This was all the opportunity that Warilla needed and they forced a corner on the left.  They brought up a few big defenders and crowded Kiama’s penalty box.  The corner was played to the far post and in what looked like a rehearsed move Warilla scored from a close range header.

 

The Quarriers found themselves 1 – 0 down for the first time in fourteen games and they didn’t like it.  They finished the half with a stunned look about them and Warilla should have pushed home this advantage. 

 

Both teams stepped up a gear in the second half as they settled to the task of getting the upper hand to take the win.  The Quarriers continued to push forward but seemed content to hit long range shots which were never going to trouble a very good Warilla goalie.  Warilla on the other hand came out with a more aggressive formation and threw a lot more players into the attack.  This resulted in a much more open game and there were plenty of goalmouth incidents.

 

Kiama’s best chances fell to Brown again who was desperately unlucky with a couple of efforts.  He had a dipping shot skim the crossbar as well as having a delicate lob over the keeper’s head miss by inches.

 

Ten minutes into the second half Kiama were dealt a blow when powerhouse defender Brad Tuohy had to leave the field with a badly broken finger.  The Quarriers were forced to re-shuffle and Mick Gillespie was brought off the bench into the defence.  Gillespie let his intentions be known straight away and his first tackle left a Warilla striker wondering whether a truck had hit him.

 

With play rolling from end to end the spectators were getting their moneys worth, notwithstanding the condition of the park.  This was a good game of soccer with both sides chasing the win.  It was hard and tough, but it was also fair and both sides played the game the way is should be played.

 

Fifteen minutes from full time defender Mick Broad got on the end of a long bouncing ball just outside of Warilla’s penalty box on the right.  Without checking he pivoted and hit a tremendous volley that dipped just inches over the bar with the goalkeeper nowhere to be seen.  If this had of gone in it would have been a contender for goal of the year. 

 

Three minutes later, Kiama’s sweeper, Mike Merriman topped Broad’s effort with a stinging thirty metre free kick that swerved and dipped over the wall.  Warilla’s keeper pulled off a fantastic save to keep this one out.

 

Time was running out for the Quarriers and Warilla could smell the victory.  As often is the case, the last few minutes of each half are danger periods and Kiama took advantage of this with ten minutes to go.  The ball was played down the right side and Alex Cross sent in a pinpoint pass.  Brian Brown, the smallest man on the field, got to the near post and headed the ball into the back of the net to send Kiama’s supporters into raptures.

 

Both sides continued to battle out the remainder of the game with little net gain and at full time the match was drawn at 1 – 1.  Both sides were surprised that there was no extra time and the match was scheduled for a replay on Tuesday night. 

 

Kiama’s performance was slightly below par from what their supporters have come to expect but the playing surface had a lot to do with that.  Most of the players put in solid games while Dave Jovanov and Mick Broad stood out for their efforts.  A popular Kiama Leagues Club Man of the Match was sweeper Mike Merriman.  He marshaled his defence well and really took the game to Warilla late in the match with some long penetrating runs.

 

Kiama’s youth grade faced a tough Elimination Semi-final against Berkeley at Berkeley Sports Ground.  The sides battled out a 1 – 1 draw when they met during the season and this match was a similar story and ended up in a 0 – 0 draw.

 

The Young Quarriers were back to their best and shrugged off their recent lethargy.  The team spirit was visible in the players as they battled away for each other.  James Terry in goals had a tremendous game and pulled off a number of fine saves.  Chris Hughes also had a top game and was on the spot to head two balls off the goal line. 

 

The young Quarriers had the opportunity to steal the game in the last few minutes but had a couple of shots go agonizingly close without hitting the back of the net.  There was not a split hair between the two sides and now they have to line up again on Tuesday night for a replay.               

 

Kiama’s standout performer was captain and midfielder Danny Pridham who was a tower of strength for his side.  He played much of the game with a badly rolled ankle and other, less courageous players would have gone off.  Danny was the Gordon McDonald Electrical Man of the Match. 

 

At the time of reporting the venues and times for the replays are unknown.